My Heart's Desire
by Viridian Quill
Summary: All her life, Desiree has been alone. Will everybody's favorite Ghost Boy finally grant the one wish she has desired for so long? DxD, first story to feature this pairing. This story is now complete!
1. Reality Bites

Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom.

Desiree flew out of the Ghost Portal, hands covering her face and sobbing violently. She had been in a bit of a funk the last few days, reminiscing about the past and the love she had so bitterly lost. When she had bumped into Kitty and she had said those hurtful words to her, the dam just broke.

_Flashback…_

Desiree had been floating aimlessly about the Ghost Zone, lost in the memories of her time as the consort of a powerful Sultan. So caught up in the musings of the past, she failed to see where she was going, until she accidentally walked in on Kitty and Johnny 13 making out. Muttering her apologies, she had been about to turn away when Kitty said something.

"Just 'cause you're stuck without love for the rest of eternity doesn't give you the right to interrupt others who have it."

That did it. Desiree felt reality slap her in the face with a wet towel as she realized the bearings of Kitty's words. She _was_ doomed to an eternity of being alone and unloved, with time stretching on before her, nothing to accompany her but memories of her time alive, until those memories too would eventually fade, leaving her alone and miserable for the rest of eternity.

_For the rest of eternity…_

The pain of being sad and alone for the rest of time suddenly slammed into her. HARD. She had turned and zoomed away, face buried in her hands and sobbing uncontrollably. Blindly she had flown towards the Ghost Portal, left open for some reason. She had to get away. Away to some quiet corner where she could just go and cry her heart out.

_End flashback…_

She flew out of the basement of Fenton Works. She was flying at breakneck speed, not really seeing where she was headed and not really caring. She just wanted to escape, to get away from everything. So it was no surprise that she did not see and subsequently slammed into a certain Halfa who was making his nightly rounds.

"Desiree? What the?"

Briefly she took her tear-streaked face out of her hands and looked around. She had bumped into Danny Phantom, who was currently giving her a weird look.

"Desiree? Are you crying?"

The surprise in his voice set her off again. She buried her face back in her hands and started to take off again, when she felt Danny's hand on her shoulder stop her.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" She screamed, shrugging his hand off. She was about to fly away when he spoke up again.

"I wish you would talk to me and tell me your problems."

She turned around in surprise, but it was too late. Her powers had kicked in, and she found herself pouring her heart out at Danny.

"I was already a bit melancholic, because I was remembering the past, and then I bumped into Kitty and Johnny 13 making out, so I apologized and was about to go away when she said this comment about just because I was going to be alone for the rest of eternity didn't give me the right to spoil it for others, and I don't know, I guess something inside me just snapped, and I burst into tears and flew out of the Ghost Zone and I wasn't looking where I was going so I crashed into you." She immediately covered her mouth with her hands. Glaring at Danny, she powered up for an ecto-blast, intent on making him pay, when he spoke again.

"I wish you'd let me touch you."

She stopped charging, shocked, as her powers automatically granted his wish. Danny paused for a moment, and then approached her. Before she could react, he had wrapped his arms around her and grabbed her in a powerful hug. She froze. The hug woke up something in her, and before she knew it, she was crying into his shoulder and hugging him back for all she was worth. Like he knew this would happen, his grip around her just tightened and one of his hands started smoothing her hair down over and over again.

"Shh.. Come on. Let it out. Let it all out. I'm here for you."

Eons of pent-up anguish poured out of Desiree as she sobbed on the Halfa's shoulder. Danny just let her cry it out. After a good twenty minutes of crying, Desiree finally felt the tears start to subside. She sniffled, and looked up at Danny, a question in her eyes.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why did you do that? Forcibly using my powers against me so that you could comfort me?"

"You looked like you needed it."

"But I'm your enemy! You should be fighting me, not hugging me like this!"

"Just because you're a ghost doesn't mean you can't feel."

Desiree felt herself smile at that comment. "Dear child, when did you get so mature?" Her smile grew bigger when she saw him start to pout.

"I'm 18, ya know. All this ghost fighting kinda forces me to grow up a bit. If there's one thing I've learned after all these years, it's that ghosts are still people, with emotions and feelings. Once you have them figured out, it makes it easier to deal with them."

"Oh really? How about me, then? Have you figured me out yet?"

She saw his forehead scrunch up in thought. When he answered, he spoke slowly, apparently thinking out his answer.

"You're… sad. And lonely. You're a bit of an enigma to me, I'll give you that. Technus is a nutjob who despairs to fit in with the norm and be recognized. Skulker has an obsession with collecting things. But you… I don't get your reasons for being evil."

"What's not to get?" Desiree answered bitterly. Apparently Danny's earlier wish was still in effect. "I'm like this because the world has never shown me anything else. Because I learned long ago that if I let someone in, they would just hurt me. That's why my powers are wish-based. I take what a person desires the most, what's truly important within his heart, and I change it so that it ends up hurting them."

"You want others to feel how it feels to lose that which you truly desire the most."

"Exactly." To her surprise, Desiree felt something course through her that she hadn't felt in a long time. Shame. She felt ashamed of herself, ashamed of what she'd been doing for so long. She looked down. Was it right that she force others to experience what she had experienced? To feel the stinging loss of being robbed of your dreams? Suddenly she felt like crawling away into a hole somewhere. She didn't deserve Danny's comfort. Slowly she tried to wriggle out of his embrace. To her surprise, Danny held her tighter, and when she looked back up at him, his eyes were twinkling.

"Had a little revelation, Desiree?"

"I- You could say that." She answered. "By the Gods, what have I been doing with my life?" Danny gave her a strange look. "All right, what have I been doing with my _after_life? Robbing people of their dreams when I could give them so much more… I…" She hugged Danny back. "Thank you. All those times I called you child, and it turns out I'm the one who's been so immature for so long." She chuckled.

"Not really. I'm still a kid in many aspects." Danny smirked at her. "So will you be okay now? I kind of have to get back to patrolling Amity Park." He slowly dropped his hands to his sides and made to turn away. This time, it was Desiree who grabbed his shoulder.

"Don't."

"Huh?"

"Don't leave… Not yet. I… I don't know what it is that you've done, but right now, I... I feel safe. And I think you're causing it., so I don't want to be that far away from you right now." She half-expected Danny to laugh and shrug her hand away, so she was pleasantly surprised to see the halfa nod in understanding. He looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Okay then." Then his face turned into a mischievous smirk. "I wish no ghosts would attack tonight so I can spend some time with you." Desiree felt the beginnings of a huge smile form on her face as her hands began to glow with spectral energy.

"So you wish it, so it shall be."

After taking a quick hand-in-hand flight around Amity Park to ensure that Danny's wish did come true, (despite Desiree's protests about her powers always working) they flew into Danny's window, and settled down on his bed. Danny wrapped an arm around Desiree and pulled her along with him as he lay down on the bed. Desiree meeped in surprise, but did not protest. After a while, she laid her head on Danny's chest and let out a contented sigh. Danny started stroking her hair. After a while, he spoke.

"Desiree?"

"Yes, Daniel?"

"I have to know. After tonight, will you still continue your old ways?"

"I don't know. I… It is ingrained in me to grant every wish I hear, no matter how insane they may be. I have no control over it. Perhaps I will no longer perverse the results like I did before, but I must still grant them."

"I see. It must be hard for you, especially if you don't really want to grant a particular wish."

"You have no idea."

"Hey Desiree? If someone were to, say, wish that you would be able to choose which wishes to grant and which to ignore, would it work?"

Desiree sat up suddenly and gave Danny an incredulous look. "It would. But are you sure you want to wish that? Remember, Daniel, that wish that you made earlier? I may be telling to you and talking to you, but you cannot be entirely sure that I do so with an open heart. For all you know, this may be some ruse of mine to trick you into making that wish. After all, that is the only thing that can be considered my weakness."

Danny stood up as well and looked Desiree in the eye. "I know."

"Then you would make such a wish with that knowledge?"

"Yes."

"Have you forgotten all the grief I have caused you in the past? You know my powers and the extent that I can achieve with it. Why do you trust me so much?"

"Three reasons. One, I know you are not truly evil, just lonely. Two, true, being able to choose which wishes to grant would give you the ability to increase your power to incredible magnitudes, but you would not do so, and this is because of reason number three."

"And what is reason number three?" Desiree asked with an amused tone.

"This." Danny cupped her cheek and kissed her.

A/N: Woohoo! Cliffhanger! Wait for the next chapter. Reviews are greatly welcomed, as they inspire me to work harder and update faster.


	2. Revelations

Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom.

After a few seconds, Danny slowly pulled away and saw that tears were streaming down her face.

"Desiree? I… I'm sorry if I was too-" But Desiree's finger on his lips silenced him.

"Never. In all the centuries of my existence, no-one, human or ghost, has ever kissed me-"

Danny winced. She was going to get mad, he knew it. He had taken a huge risk in kissing her like that, and now he was going to pay for it.

"-with such tenderness before." She looked deep into Danny's eyes, a smile on her face despite the tears.

Danny felt a smile form on his own face as he drew Desiree into a hug. "Remember what I told you before, Desiree. Ghosts are people too, and deserve to be treated as such. Especially one as beautiful as you."

Desiree's arms flew up to hug him back for the third time that night. "Do you really think that?"

Danny shot her a look of incredulity. "Are you serious?" He grabbed her by the shoulders and brought her over in front of his bedroom mirror. He turned and made her face her reflection. "Look at yourself! You're, pardon the pun, drop-dead gorgeous!" He looked at their reflection and saw that she was blushing. A thought struck him, and he looked at her through the mirror.

"Uhm… Can I make a wish?" Despite her blush, Desiree chuckled.

"Daniel, given the type of wishes you have been making so far, I would be a bit disappointed if you did not make a wish." Danny smirked at that, but his face quickly returned to that look of uncertainty from before.

"Okay then… I… uh… I wish I could see what you looked like when you were still alive." Desiree's eyes widened as her powers went to work, two rings of light appearing around her and forcing the transformation of her body. Green skin turned to olive-brown, and her ruby-red eyes turned to their former cerulean blue. Her silver bangles took on a gold sheen as her dress's color shifted from blue to purple. Her usual ghostly trail disappeared, to be replaced by two dainty sandal-covered feet. She turned to Danny, who was staring at her in slack-jawed admiration. She gave a small turn so he could see her.

"Like what you see, Daniel?" Danny could only emit a strangled cry in response. She giggled at his reaction. Surprising herself, she felt a twinge of excitement and joy that she had evoked such a response from him. After some time, Danny found his voice.

"I can see why that Sultan's wife was jealous of you…" He reached up and softly stroked her cheek. "So… beautiful…" She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. Danny's presence, and the way he had been treating her tonight, was making her feel things she had not felt in a long time. Joy, contentment, happiness, relief… and an overwhelming feeling of safety and security, all these feelings came back to life with his touch. She had not felt this way for entirely too long, and she was thoroughly enjoying it. She opened her eyes and looked into his. Those blue orbs were shining with admiration, affection, and… a deeper feeling she could not recognize. Did she dare hope that it was…?

Danny on the other hand was mesmerized. He had long suspected that Desiree's human form was beautiful. How could she not be, her ghost form looking like she was? But this… This surpassed every single dream and fantasy he had ever had of her. This was some Arabian goddess, sent on Earth to favor mortals with her presence! Danny spaced out even more as chants of "I'm not worthy… I'm not worthy…" filled his head.

"Daniel… I… Why are you acting this way?" The question snapped Danny out of his Desiree-induced trance. He shook his head to clear his thoughts, and blinked twice before giving Desiree a confused look.

"What do you mean?"

"You have been so nice to me tonight. You comforted me, stayed with me, you even called me beautiful."

"That's because you are. Even more so when you look like that." She blushed again. "And especially more so when you blush."

"See? That is what I am talking about. The way you are acting, it is almost as if you are flirting with me, Daniel." To her surprise, Danny gave her a sheepish grin.

"Ahehe… Guilty as charged." Desiree's eyes widened.

"So you have been flirting with me! But why?" Danny suddenly blushed and averted his eyes. A sudden realization hit her and her eyes threatened to fill with tears again. She slowly turned away. "I… I see. You just felt sorry for me… So you decided to flirt with me to raise my ego a bit. Make me think I could trust you so you could manipulate me… " Saying the words out loud, she started to feel that all-too-familiar emotion of anger build up inside her. "How dare you toy with my emotions like that!"

"What? Desiree, no, I didn't-"

"For a moment there, I actually started to believe that there was someone who actually gave a damn…"

"I DO give a damn! Damn it, Desiree, will you just listen for-"

Desiree's hands glowed their trademark purple as her anger spiked. Her tears were flowing freely now. "I have listened enough! I will show you what it means to play with my heart like that!" She whirled around, fully intent on blasting Danny and expecting him to be on the other side of the room charging his own ecto-blast. To say she was surprised to see him standing right in front of her, not even changing into ghost mode, was something of an understatement. The surprise only increased as he grabbed her roughly by the shoulders and stared into her eyes.

"Damn it, Des, if you won't listen to me I'll just have to show you." He muttered before kissing her for the second time that night. Her eyes widened, and then slowly closed. Desiree could feel the difference in this kiss. His earlier kiss had been soft, tentative, as if he had been afraid of her reaction. This one was rough, passionate, like he had been releasing something that had been building up for some time. His passion was overwhelming, and soon enough Desiree felt herself giving in. Slowly at first, and then stronger, she started kissing him back. The ferocity with which he was kissing her prompted her to deepen it; parting her lips slightly, she snaked out her tongue and licked across his lips. Danny obligingly parted them, and their tongues met in a duel for dominance. To Danny's consternation, it became all too apparent that Desiree had no need for air, something which his lungs were starting to crave. Soon he could hold it no longer and reluctantly broke away, but his eyes never left hers.

"Did you feel that?" Still somewhat stunned from the kiss, she could only nod. "Now, look me in the eyes, Desiree, and tell me that you still think I'm toying with your feelings."

Shaking, Desiree lifted her head and did as he said. Gazing at his deep-blue orbs, she saw three things. Honesty, confirming that what he was saying was true. Sincerity, willing her to believe that he was not playing with her. But what struck her the most was the fire she saw there. There was passion, and a look of longing so intense she could almost drown. Then it clicked in her head that _she_ was the object of that powerful longing, and at the thought she felt her knees go weak. That look, with those eyes, reminded her of something. Searching her memory, she finally recalled what it was, and this time her knees really did go weak and she collapsed on the floor.

Danny was kneeling in front of her in an instant. He gingerly placed a hand on her shoulder and hesitantly called her name.

"Desiree?"

She looked up, and he saw that although tears were now streaming down her face once again, she was smiling. The smile on her face was so beautiful and true that Danny was mesmerized for a moment. He shook his head, and asked her what was wrong.

"Why are you crying? I'm sorry for being too forward, but you were getting mad and you wouldn't let me explain…" He trailed off as she made a shushing motion.

"I understand, Daniel. I jumped to conclusions too quickly. It's just… You reminded me of a promise I made to someone a long, long time ago…" Desiree trailed off as she reminisced about the past.

_Flashback_

9th Century Morocco. An old woman, spotting a window still alight, knocked on the door of a house in the middle of the night. The door opened, and a thin man in his late forties gazed out at the night. Noticing the old woman, he frowned and asked her what she wanted.

"I… I saw the light from your window. Kind sir, perhaps you would allow an old woman to rest her weary body near your fire for the night? I would not normally ask this favor, but the nights have been getting colder than usual…"

The man was about to turn her away, when an idea struck him. He looked the old woman over; she had definitely seen her better years. He smiled at the old woman and invited her inside. He bade her rest in front of the fire, and gave her a warm blanket. He informed her that he was a scholar who lived in the house alone, and that she was welcome to stay as long as she wished. Before he bade her good-night, he asked her name. The old woman gave it to him, and then soon fell asleep.

The man, seeing her asleep, rushed to his basement study. Rummaging amongst his shelves, he soon located the object of his search: A crystal orb the size of an orange and containing what seemed to be smoke. Holding it in the palm of his right hand, he waved his left hand over it and muttered the old woman's name. An evil smile formed on his face as the smoke within the orb started to turn a dark purple. He gave a soft cackle.

"Soon…" He muttered, eyeing the small forge in the corner. Glowing amongst the coals was a golden ring. "Soon, I shall have the soul that I require… And then, the lamp will be mine." He left the basement and went upstairs to go to bed. Before doing so, he looked at the old woman sleeping by the fire.

"And it will be all thanks to you, Desiree."

A/N: Well, I didn't get a lot of reviews, but the ones I did get spurred me on so much I just had to write some more. If you read my other story, Keep Me, it should be updated with the second chapter some time later this week. Bit of a cliffhanger ending, this one, but you will see why in the third chapter, which hopefully will be up before 2007. Constructive reviews, people!


	3. Desiree's Story

Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom

Morning came, and the man nudged his guest awake. As the old woman's eyes fluttered open, he offered her a bowl of steaming couscous.

"Here," said the man. "Eat and then perhaps you may tell me more about yourself." Obligingly, Desiree ate. After finishing, she thanked the man and asked him what he wanted to know. The man shrugged noncommittally.

"Tell me where you are from, and if you are gracious enough, perhaps a story of your past?" Desiree bowed and complied.

"I come from the kingdom south of here. In my youth, I was a consort of the sultan there. Unfortunately, I was banished when I evoked the jealously of his wife. I have been wandering since." Desiree could not keep the bitterness from her voice. "It has been a hard life, and it is not often that I meet people of your generosity. I thank you for that."

"Think nothing of it. It is a tradition in my family to help those in need." The man looked at her thoughtfully. "Now, you must rest. From your appearance, I take it that you have been wandering for quite some time?" She nodded. "Very well. Rest for now, and then I will awaken you when it is noon."

Desiree thanked him again and went back to sleep. As soon as he had ascertained she was asleep, he returned to his basement. The clouds within the orb were nearly black now. Smiling evilly at the sight, he turned to the shelf and once more started looking for something. It was not long until he found the two objects he was looking for. One was a small ruby, seemingly a stone that was removed from a ring, and the other was a crystal with a strange marking on it. Returning to where Desiree lay sleeping, he pressed the crystal to her forehead, whereupon the crystal glowed with an ominous red light. His evil smile grew.

Desiree was everything he had been looking for, he thought. A soul near the last stages of its earthly existence, with a hard life and a broken heart. One last thing to do to make her the perfect subject. She had to die a violent death. Returning to his basement, he procured a spear and a hammer, both bearing strange symbols. Bringing them back to the living room, he held the hammer at ready in one hand, and the spear in the other. He placed the ruby on the granite table. Then, he woke Desiree up.

"Wake up woman, and help me fulfill my destiny!"

She opened her eyes just as the spear plunged into her chest. She had only time to open her mouth in horror before he gave a mighty sideways yank. As he did so, the symbols glowed, and there was an almighty shriek as he forcibly tore her soul from her body. Placing her ghost over the ruby, he started to hammer her into the stone, each hit producing a pain-filled scream from her spirit. After the twelfth hit, he removed the spear, chanted a magic word, and struck the final blow. With a last, anguished cry, Desiree's soul was forged into the stone.

The man lifted the ruby to the light. It was now gleaming with a strange shine. Cackling, he brought the ruby back to the basement, where the golden ring had been cooling off in the water trough. Taking the ring, he uttered a spell and inserted the ruby inside. It glowed brightly for a moment. He slipped the ring on his finger and rubbed it. Desiree, in her ghostly form, emerged from the ring. She looked around confusedly for a moment. Her gaze settled on the man, and her eyes narrowed.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?"

"Calm yourself, Desiree. I liberated you from your body and gave you a new existence as a genie. Not only that, but I have now given you power! Power to avenge those who made your life miserable!"

"YOU DARE TO USE ME AS SUCH?!?" She rushed towards the man, meaning to attack him, but the bands on her neck and arms glowed bright and she felt herself seized by indescribable pain. She shrieked, and dropped to the floor twitching. The man laughed.

"You think you can rebel against me, your new master? Foolish genie! You are bound to the whims of whoever wears this ring! Now, kneel before me!" Another bolt of pain coursed through her, and she knelt before him, sobbing. The man laughed again.

"Now, stay there. I will be making some preparations, and then we will depart for China." The man went upstairs, leaving Desiree alone and weeping silently on the floor. After an hour, he returned, and summoning her, wished that he be taken to China. Desiree's hands glowed, and she raised her arms as she granted her first wish.

Upon arriving in China, the man sealed her within the ring again. Some time later, she felt a substantial shift within the ring, and she felt the man's evil aura replaced by something more pure. When she was summoned from the ring again, she was only slightly surprised to see that instead of the man, there was now a young boy staring at her, his blue eyes wide with fright. Looking around, she noticed they were in some sort of cave. Deciding to be kind to the boy, she gave a small bow.

"What is your wish, my master?"

The lad apparently had more sand in him than she thought, for he replied loudly, "I wish that you would take me out of this place!" She bowed again and her hands glowed once more.

"Your wish is my command." With a wave of her hand, they were standing outside the cave, and the man was nowhere to be found. The boy introduced himself, and bid her return inside the ring so she would not attract attention. So Desiree obediently returned inside the ring, where she remained for quite some time. Her new master, it seemed, had in his possession a more powerful genie than her, and it was the other genie he used more frequently. She was summoned only twice after that. The second time, her master, now a young man, had apparently lost the lamp and the palace that he had ordered the other genie to build. (How anyone could lose a palace was beyond her.) She had not enough power to return the palace to him, as only the genie of the lamp could do so, so she was only able to bring him to where it was. After that, she was returned to the ring.

The third, and final, time she had been summoned, her master was now an old man. She saw, to her surprise, that the genie of the lamp was also present. The genie had apparently told her master how she had come to be inside the ring, and her master had seen fit to set her free. The genie informed her that although he could set her free as she was not a true genie but merely a trapped ghost, she would be bound to become a wishing ghost, forever granting every wish she hears, as a result of her sojourn within the ring. Thrilled at the prospect of freedom, Desiree readily agreed to her fate. Right before his master wished her freedom he looked at her with a piercing gaze, and gave her one last command.

"I am sure, Desiree that you would not hesitate to revenge yourself upon those who wronged you the moment I set you free. But I ask that you grant me this final wish. I wish that when the time comes that you would find yourself in a position where true love is offered to you, you find it in your heart to accept it and love the man in return." So saying, he gave a wave of his hand. The genie of the lamp pointed his finger at the ring, and a bolt of magic flew from it and shattered the ruby. Desiree was free. As she was about to leave, her master called out to her.

"Remember your promise, Desiree!" She faced him and bowed.

"I will, Master, I will." She turned and flew away.

_End Flashback_

Desiree looked into Danny's icy-blue eyes. She reached out and stroked his cheek, her former master's words ringing in her head.

…_when the time comes that you would find yourself in a position where true love is offered to you… accept it and love the man in return…_

To her surprise, her hands began to glow again. Danny looked at her in confusion.

"What the… But I didn't wish for anything!" She merely shook her head.

"No. It is a wish that was made a very long time ago. After all this time, I am finally able to grant it." She raised her hands as her magic coursed thru her once more. She felt all the hate and thirst for retribution within her disappear, to be replaced by an unbelievably powerful feeling thudding deep within her chest. She put a hand to her bosom.

"Is this what it feels like to…?" She whispered to herself. She glanced over at Danny, suddenly aware of how blue his eyes were, how soft his hair seemed, how handsome and defined his face had become. She stroked his cheek again, and tears of happiness welled up in her eyes.

"Daniel… Thank you. I… I feel it. After all this time, after a millennia of loneliness and sorrow… I finally know how it feels like… to love again." She saw his eyes soften and he reached over to hug her tight. She returned the embrace, the feeling within her threatening to overwhelm her. She leaned back and looked into his face, her eyes drinking in every detail. Her gaze fell on his lips, and almost automatically, she leaned in and initiated a kiss between them for the first time.

As soon as her lips touched his, her world erupted in an explosion of pleasure. She melted into him, noting how strange it was that this was the first time she had felt like this, and yet it felt so natural, so right to have his lips on hers like this.

_So this is what it feels like to kiss someone you love…_

A/N: Chapter Three is up and finished. Chapter Four, which will be along soon, will deal with Danny's side of the story; the how, why, when of his falling in love with Desiree. Read and review people...


	4. Danny's Story

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom.**

As the kiss deepened, a question suddenly popped up in Desiree's mind. She slowly pulled away and looked Danny in the eye.

"How long?"

"What?"

"How long? That kiss you gave me earlier, the second one. That was a bit too… _passionate_ to be a realization kiss." To her satisfaction, Danny blushed and scratched the back of his head.

"Er… well… you see…"

"Quit stalling, Daniel. How long?"

"Two years." Desiree blanched. He had been hiding his feelings from her for two years? Her brow furrowed.

"Two years? But what could possibly…" She trailed off as she searched her memory for what had happened. Realization slowly dawned on her. "It wouldn't happen to be…" Danny nodded.

"Yep."

"So… That one time…"

"One time was all it took to get me to fall for you."

_Flashback_

Danny stared at the card in his hand for what felt like the hundredth time. The feeling he got to tell his best friends about the event written on the card that he was being invited to appeared again, but he quelled it immediately. They would insist on going, and if it was a trap, they'd be walking straight in it. No, he didn't want to drag his friends into more danger again, if it was another evil plot from one of his enemies. He glared at the card. It had been sent by one of the weaker ghosts two days ago, and he kept right on glaring at it since then. _I can't tell the guys. They'd want to come, and I'd never forgive myself if it was a trap. Wait, if I'm thinking of not letting them come, does that mean I've already decided to go?_ He looked at the card again.

_To: Daniel James Fenton aka Danny Phantom_

_In view of the age-old tradition known as the Christmas Truce, you are hereby invited to the first ever annual Ghost Zone Christmas Party, to be held at Princess Dorathea's Castle, on December 25, from 8 pm to 11 pm. _

He sighed. Today was December 25, which meant that the party was tonight. Making up his mind, he went downstairs to the kitchen where his parents were.

"Mom? Dad? Can I have permission to go to a Christmas party tonight?"

_That night…_

He stared up at the huge door, still having a bit of a difficulty believing his parents had actually let him go. He had promised to come home by eleven thirty, and his parents had allowed him, as long as he didn't go home drunk. As he was raising his hand to knock, a guard popped out from above the castle walls. He took one look at Danny and yelled out "He's HERE!" The hubbub inside suddenly ceased as the door immediately burst open, and several pairs of hands reached out and yanked him inside.

"AH! NO! GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME, YOU-"

"Calm down kid. Ya don't want to break the truce now, do ya?" Danny powered down as he saw the ghosts looking at him strangely. He gave them a sheepish grin.

"Sorry about that." The ghosts broke into laughter, and Skulker clapped him on the shoulder.

"Don't worry about it, kid. We've all been hoping you would accept the invitation. You're sort of the guest of honor, really. Now, go mingle." He said, pushing him Danny towards the crowd. Danny made his way through the party, occasionally stopping to chat with some of the ghosts he knew, like Poindexter and Dora. He reached the buffet table and got a cup of punch. He was heading back to where Poindexter was to chat with his some more when somebody bumped into him from behind and nearly made him spill his drink.

"Hey, watch it!"

"Sorry! Oh, it's you, Daniel."

"Hi, Desiree." The ghost genie gave him a half-smile, and then frowned when she saw the punch.

"Young halfa, you should be a bit wary of that punch."

"Oh? Why is that?"

"Bertrand and Spectra were in charge of the refreshments. You don't know since this is your first Christmas party, but they're the ones who spike the drinks the most." Desiree pointed to a corner where one of the Ghost Police was yelling for a conga line. "He was the drinks taster this year. Poor Butch."

"How many cups has he had?"

"Three, I think. Ease up on the punch. The eggnog is your safest bet." She winked at the young halfa, and then went off. Danny stared at her retreating form for a moment, and then shrugged. He downed his punch, and shuddered as he felt the alcohol-laced drink course through his system.

"Desiree's right. I should go easy on the drinks…" He muttered, before going off to look for somebody else he knew.

_Two hours later…_

"It's a good thing I listened to Desiree's advice…"

"Deck the halls with ectoplasm, fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la!" Skulker was singing uproariously, one hand holding a beer glass and another hand slung over Fright Knight's shoulder. Fright Knight had a similar cup and was singing "Hark the Herald Specters Sing." The funny thing was, the two were in perfect harmony, despite singing different lyrics. The other ghosts were singing along, and some were swing-dancing to the carols. Danny, who had refrained from any punch and was just nursing his second cup of eggnog, was watching the other ghosts in amusement. His eyes swept the room, searching for a ghost that was as un-inebriated as he was.

Poindexter? He was on the table, dancing with a lamp shade on his head. _Nope. Too drunk._

Dora? She was chugging punch thru a long tube, as some ghost cops, headed by Walker, were chanting "DRINK! DRINK! DRINK!" _No way._

Ember? She was dirty-dancing with Spectra to some sort of weird Jinglebell Rock techno remix beat. _Oh yeah… Work it girls… But still too drunk. _

Suddenly, he spotted Desiree sitting across the room, apparently also watching the scene with amusement. Smiling, he stood up and walked somewhat unsteadily over to her. She saw him coming and gestured to the chair beside her. He sat down and smiled at her.

"Glad to see someone who hasn't drunk that much." Desiree merely smiled in return.

"Young one, I have had one thousand years worth of drinking practice. My alcohol tolerance is pretty high. Glad to see you took my advice, Daniel." He snickered.

"Oh, I was sorely tempted. After all, if I did get drunk, maybe I'd be dirty-dancing over there between Spectra and Ember. But I figured, if I went home drunk, my parents won't let me come next year."

"So you'll be attending regularly now?"

"Why not? I've had a lot of fun tonight. Kinda sucks to think that I'll be fighting you guys tomorrow." Desiree smiled.

"After all the drinking tonight, the only ghost who you might be fighting tomorrow would be me."

"That sucks even more. I mean, you've been so nice to me tonight, and you're all happy and smiling, and now that I can really take the time to look at you without having to dodge ectoblasts, you're actually really, really pretty…" He trailed off as his brain caught up to what his mouth was saying. Desiree looked pleasantly embarrassed.

"Perhaps you have had a little too much to drink tonight, Daniel."

"Yeah, perhaps… Then again, _in vino veritas_, eh, Desiree?" He smirked, and was rewarded with a blush from Desiree. "Hey, you're blushing! I didn't know ghosts could blush!"

"Yes, well, there are still a lot of things you don't know about ghosts, Daniel." Desiree answered, still flustered.

"Probably. Maybe it's high time I got to know all of you better." He smiled at Desiree once more, and then glanced at his watch. "It's nearly eleven. I'll have to leave soon…"

"And just when I was beginning to enjoy your company, young one. Too bad."

"I know. Hey, accompany me out? I'd go alone, but…" His eyes shifted near the table, where Skulker and the Fright Knight seemed to be looking for another drinking buddy. Desiree giggled.

"I understand, Daniel. Come." She took Danny by hand and led him out of the castle. She was about to let go, but Danny held tight.

"To the portal? Drunken ghostly revelers and all…" She rolled her eyes.

"Oh very well then." She kept her hand in Danny's, noticing a blush form on his face. _He has had way too much to drink,_ she thought. _It's getting into his head… and his heart._

They neared the entrance to the Ghost Portal, and Danny stopped. He turned and faced Desiree.

"Thanks for the warning, and for talking with me tonight. I'm definitely coming back next year." He grew a bit more serious. "And I mean it. I will find out a bit more about you guys. Especially you. But for now…." He pointed a finger upwards and formed a tiny mistletoe ice sculpture. Before Desiree could react, he reached up and pecked her on the lips. He gave her one last wink, and then dashed out into the portal.

Desiree blinked twice. She was supposed to get mad, she thought. After all, the halfa had just kissed her and run off. She touched her lips and found herself smiling.

_I must have drunk more than I thought. The alcohol's getting to me too._

_End Flashback_

"After that night, I couldn't stop thinking of you. I asked Jazz to help me by trying to create psychological profiles of my enemies based on past encounters and known history. Jazz figured that you were like this because you were just sad and frustrated when you were alive. So I started thinking of ways to try and help you. At first I tried to convince myself that I was just trying to rid myself of one more enemy, but the first time we fought after that Christmas, I came to a realization. I wasn't doing it for me, but for you. I saw how unhappy you were, and I wanted to change that. I didn't want to fight you anymore. Every time we fought after that, I kept on holding back. I realized I was starting to really like you. So I tried to fight you all out to try and get over you. That was over a year ago, right?"

"Yes. You defeated me soundly, encased me in ice, and warned me never to show my face around Amity Park again before tossing me back into the Ghost Zone. For the first time since we met, Daniel, you truly scared me."

"I know. I saw it in your eyes. And I hated myself for it. Every time my Ghost Sense went off after that, I kept hoping it was you. But it never was. For a year, I saw no sign of you. After nearly a year of taking my frustration out on Skulker and the others, I up and realized that I was falling in love with you, and not seeing you was driving me insane. If you hadn't bumped into me tonight, I don't know what I would've done. I thought I'd lost you."

"Not anymore, Daniel…" Desiree whispered, wrapping her arms around Danny and hugging him close. "You'll never lose me anymore…"

A/N: Chapter Four, the second to the last chapter, is up. Chapter Five will hopefully be along some time next year... Until then, Merry Christmas! Read, review, and enjoy!


	5. The Morning After

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom.**

Danny heard Desiree's whispered promise and felt a warm shiver pass thru him. Desiree felt it too, and looked at him worriedly.

"Are you cold, Daniel?" Danny shook his head.

"No… Just happy…" He answered. Desiree smiled and kissed him sweetly before breaking away.

"Me too, Daniel… Unfortunately, time does not sit still, and the morning approaches."

"So?"

"It's 2 am, Daniel. Young though you are…" Desiree looked at him in amusement. "You need your sleep, my love."

"But…" Desiree shushed him with a finger to the lips.

"No buts, love. It is the disadvantage of falling in love with an older woman. Now, off to bed with you." She ushered him to bed, tucking him in and then kissing him sweetly on the lips.

"Where will you go?" Desiree shrugged noncommittally.

"It matters not. What matters is that you get your rest."

"But-"

"Shush. I have not loved for so long. You have done so much for me, by simply loving me and allowing me to love you in return. Allow me to take care of you, Daniel. Please…"

"Desiree… Fine. But… I wish you had a place of your own to go home to." Desiree's eyes widened in surprise as she granted the wish.

"Wha- Daniel!"

"I won't be able to get some sleep otherwise. Trust me, thinking and _worrying_ about you has cost me my fair share of sleepless nights." He gave her a wry smile. "At least, now that I know you've got someplace to go to, I can sleep properly…"

"I… Thank you, Daniel." She drifted over to him and kissed him sweetly on the forehead. She turned to go, but before she could get very far, Danny grabbed her hand. He kissed it once, and then looked her in the eye.

"I wish you could decide which wishes to grant." Her hands glowed as she stood there in surprise. "Now, I wish you would slap yourself." His smile widened when Desiree did not comply. Tugging her hand, he yanked her down and kissed her fiercely on the lips.

"See you tomorrow, Des…" He murmured, before falling back onto his bed. Desiree's eyes, which had closed during the kiss, snapped open. She looked at Danny lovingly.

"You sweet boy… You must be exhausted. I never even got the chance to say thank you for making that wish…" She stroked his hair, and then kissed him once more on the forehead.

"I will prepare a small surprise for you tomorrow, my love…" She whispered as she flew out the window.

_The next day…_

Sunlight filtered through his window, striking his face and slowly stirring him awake. As his eyes opened, memories of the past night flooded his mind, and a smile came to his face. He would be looking for her today, he decided. He had made that wish last night without even bothering to ask as to how it would be granted, let alone where she would be staying. He went downstairs to fix his breakfast, whistling a light-hearted tune.

His sister was already there, eating her breakfast. She smirked as she saw him coming into the kitchen. "Someone woke up in a good mood today."

"What can I say?" Danny replied with a smirk of his own. "I had really good dreams last night."

"Really? You know what they say, Danny. Dreams can be whispers of the subconscious telling you your greatest desires and hopes."

"Yeah, well… I already know what my greatest desire is, thank you very much."

"And what would that be?"

"I'm not telling _you_." He smirked, sticking his tongue out at her.

"Oh _real_ mature there, Danny. You're eighteen! Why don't you act your age?" She retorted, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, forget you. You're not ruining my good mood. Not today." He answered, grabbing a bowl of cereal and pouring milk into it. As he ate his breakfast, his mind was already wondering where he should start looking. As he knew from Desiree's powers, it would be highly unlikely that some new building or house would have sprung up overnight. Perhaps her powers had possessed an abandoned building somewhere? He sighed as he finished his cereal. This was going to be more difficult than he thought. Standing up, he looked over at his sister.

"I'm going out for today. I'll be back around lunchtime."

"Alright, Danny. Don't get too distracted with your ghost hunting, 'kay?"

He nodded absent-mindedly. He opened the door, still in deep thought about where to start looking for Desiree.

_Some time later, at the Amity Park Park…_

Danny slumped down with a huff at a park bench in front of the fountain in the inner section of the park. He had been searching for Desiree for nearly the entire day, to no avail. No new buildings had suddenly popped up overnight, and his ghost sense had not gone off the entire time he had been searching. He massaged his temples in frustration. Where the heck could she be? His gaze fell on the fountain.

"Ah, what the heck?" He muttered, walking over to the fountain and flipping a coin into it.

"I wish I could see her again…" He muttered. No sooner had he uttered the words than he heard a soft chuckle come from behind him.

"You will have to be more specific than that, I'm afraid. The genie wouldn't know which "her" to bring to you." He whirled around and his jaw dropped at the sight.

It was Desiree, in human form and looking to be around eighteen. The pink top and hip-hugger jeans clung to her svelte figure, and her long, wavy hair cascaded down her back, held back from her face by a golden headband. Her eyes were sparkling as she looked at him warmly. Danny took a step forward and took her hands in his.

"You had me worried there, Des. I was starting to think that last night was nothing but a really good dream." She smiled, and reaching up to cup his cheeks, pulled him into a passionate kiss. When she pulled away, he had a dazed, drunken look on his face.

"Still feel like a dream, Daniel?" He shook his head quickly. "Good." He laughed at that, and then twirled her around before holding her close.

"If this is a dream, I'd rather not wake up anytime soon."

A/N: And that concludes My Heart's Desire. A huge thank you to everybody who read and reviewed my first full DP fic. Review, tell me what you thought of the story as a whole, and if you think I should do a sequel.


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